another really stoooopid question

[captain-spanky]

when you want to take a really long exposure and you set the camera to 'bulb'...... how do you know how long to hold the shutter open for? Just through experience?

Also does anyone know if i can get some sort of device for holding the button down on either a EOS 1000fn or a EOS 50e without shaking the whole thing?

 

[Hertz van Rental]

when you want to take a really long exposure and you set the camera to 'bulb'...... how do you know how long to hold the shutter open for? Just through experience?

You use a light meter - Gossen, Minolta, Sekonic etc.

 

[BernieSC]

usually when you are shooting bulb setting you have to bracket. It depends on how much exposure curve you want, contrast , movement or none movement. Trail and error in other words.

Also in case you didn't know when you use bulb setting on the electronic cameras AF and AE being a new camera or now you can say older models the "B" flashes for each second you have the shutter open or however long you hold the shutter release down.

 

[photogoddess]

I tend to meter and do a ton bracketing for long exposures

See if Canon offered a cable release for your camera. The older cameras used a universal one but no more. Now you need to buy the one specially made for your camera if that option was available with it.

 

[ksmattfish]

For film exposures longer than 1 sec you should consult the film manufacturer for how you'll need to adjust from the recommended meter reading to deal with reciprocity failure.

I'd look online, but sometimes that info comes with the film. It'll be different for different films. For instance, with exposures longer than a few seconds, Tmax 100 is actually faster than Tmax 400. Even with that information, you'll probably want to bracket your shots and take notes.

 

[Hertz van Rental]

For information regarding reciprocity adjustments.

If you use Kodak films follow the relevant links to the technical information for the film you use. Reciprocity adjustment advice is there:

http://wwwuk.kodak.com/global/en/professional/products/prodSupportIndex.jhtml

For Ilford its here (.pdf files). Again follow the links to your film:

http://www.ilford.com/html/us_english/homeng.html

Agfa is here (but I couldn't find any technical info):

http://www.agfaphoto.com/en/

Fuji is here (again in .pdf format):

http://www.fujifilm.com/JSP/fuji/epartners/proPhotoHomePage.jsp

Hope this helps

 

[j_mcquillen]

Also does anyone know if i can get some sort of device for holding the button down on either a EOS 1000fn or a EOS 50e without shaking the whole thing?

Don't know anything about these cameras, but if they don't have a socket for a cable release, or remote shutter release, then you could use the camera's built in self-timer (the sort you'd use for including yourself in a family potrait) - this allows any vibrations from you pressing the button to die down, before the shutter opens.

If the cameras don't have a self-timer either, you can buy a kind of clamp device that attaches to the camera, and allows you to fit a cable-release over the button - these work better than pressing the shutter release button by hand, as most of the vibrations are taken up by the cable, but not as well as a properly fitted cable-release.

Jessops sell the clamps for £22.99 - click here to see the page.

 

[Big Mike]

I've never tried it on my camera, but if you used the self timer with bulb setting...how would you close the shutter...without touching the camera and defeating the point of using the timer in the first place?

I use the timer all the time for my tripod shots but I have never used bulb mode with this method.

 

[j_mcquillen]

Hmmmm...

Thats a good point... hadn't thought of that.

:?

 

[Jeff Canes]

-----Also does anyone know if i can get some sort of device for holding the button down on either a EOS 1000fn or a EOS 50e without shaking the whole thing?

If you still have the manual, check in the back pages there should be list accessories

Think I recall reading that these models may use an inferred remote
:?:

 

[fadingaway1986]

I saw somewhere, someone suggesting to put a piece of black cardboard in front of the lens when you want to close it. (after using the selftimer method.) Put the card board in front & keep it there while you press the shutter button again) That will therefore stop any light getting through when you have the movement.

 

[Karalee]

As far as I know, on some cameras you have to depress the shutter to open, and then press it again to close it, and on other cameras (like mine) you have to keep it pressed for the whole exposure. Either way I would go with a shutter release cable, cos Ive knocked mine while holding the shutter button a few times.